Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Ending Addiction Programs, Laying Off Staff

Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, which provides addiction, food, shelter and immigration legal services, will lay off almost half of its workforce, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Labor.

According to the Times Union, the nonprofit, one of the human service agencies of the Archdiocese of New York, is ending chemical dependency treatment and admissions at its clinics in Goshen, Newburgh, Monticello and Port Jervis, chapter CEO Shannon Kelly said in an emailed statement. As a result, 33 people will lose their jobs between May 23 and Aug. 15.

“The difficult decision comes as we face a critical staffing shortage and an evolving health care landscape that has made the continuation of care increasingly challenging,” Kelly’s statement said. “For those individuals currently enrolled in treatment, our dedicated staff are working to transfer all clients to the appropriate level of care at other local providers for continued treatment and recovery support.”

Other community outreach and engagement teams, including peer advocates, will remain available to connect those who need treatment to available resources, according to Catholic Charities.
The nonprofit’s other programs in the region — including food and housing assistance, case management, youth substance use prevention and education, community outreach and engagement, and immigration legal services — will continue.

The employees losing their jobs are not represented by a union, the notice states.

Catholic Charities is ending addiction programs in the region that has been hit hardest by the opioid crisis. Sullivan County has had the highest rate of opioid deaths in the state; in 2020, more than 45 out of 10,000 people in the county died or were hospitalized due to overdoses, more than twice the statewide rate, according to state Department of Health data.

Nationally, the nonprofit faces uncertainty. In January, Catholic Charities urged President Donald Trump to reconsider his administration’s order to freeze federal aid to nonprofit organizations. The order was rescinded shortly after. Several Catholic Charities agencies across the country have reportedly laid off employees and shut down programs, particularly refugee resettlement programs.

People in need of assistance can contact the Catholic Charities office in their county:

Orange: 845-294-5124

Sullivan: 845-794-8080

Ulster: 845-340-9170

Image: Catholic Charities office in Goshen on March 5. The nonprofit is ending chemical dependency treatment in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. (Credit: Lana Bellamy/Times Union)